A-Level Physics (2027 exam) – Term 4

Course Overview

Terms 3b to 6 of this course cover the full content of the A2 component of OCR A specification for A-Level Physics (with the first three weeks of Term 3b still being in AS-Level territory). PX A2-Level Physics is a one-and-a-third-year course and assumes that GCSE Maths and PX AS-Level Physics (Terms 1 & 2) have already been mastered.

For a student of average ability, this course will require about 7.5 hours of self-study each week in addition to the 2.5 hours of lessons. Students who are not taking A-Level Maths are likely to require more self-study time.

At A-Level a separate practical endorsement can be taken. This is advisable if the student wishes to study science at university. Parents will need to arrange for this.

Course Method

The lessons are live, interactive sessions where questions may be asked.

The lessons are not recorded unless there is a prior arrangement made for an unavoidable absence, such as an exam clashing with a lesson.

Homework is set each week from the textbook which needs to be procured in advance (A-Level Physics for OCR A: Year 1 & 2 Student Book with Online Edition; CGP Product Code: PRATB72; ISBN: 9781789086690). Usually, the homework is to study the pages in the textbook in advance of studying them together in the next lesson and to consolidate what was learnt in the previous lesson. By working in this way, students can study at their own pace. During the lessons the Teacher goes over the content from the prepared pages, often incorporating additional online resources.

The weekly homework email contains links to any online resources used in the previous lesson. Students should use this to consolidate what was covered in the lesson. Some of the science videos contain interactive questions at the end, which are automatically marked. As part of the consolidation process, students should ensure that they can answer these questions correctly.

The teacher of this course does not mark homework, believing that it is much better for the students to mark their own work from mark schemes, which are provided. This gives the students immediate feedback on anything they have got wrong so that they can then work out how to get the correct answer or improve their answer. For the longer questions they can check which points gain marks and also make notes of points which they missed. This method of working allows students to monitor their own progress and ensure that they have mastered each topic. It requires a certain maturity on the part of the students, but home-educated students should be capable of this. Learning to assess one’s own work and progress is excellent training for university and real life.

Course Details

Term 4 comprises two weekly lessons over 14 weeks. One lesson lasts 90 minutes and the other 60 minutes.

Term 4 covers:

• Module 5.1: Thermal Physics
• Module 5.2: Circular Motion and Oscillations
• Module 5.3: Gravitational Fields
• Module 5.4: Astrophysics and Cosmology.

This PX Classroom is held on Mondays at 9.00am until 10.30am and on Thursdays at 9.30am until 10.30am (London time zone) starting from 7th September 2026. There will be no lessons on 26th or 29th October 2026 during the half-term break. The last lesson is due to be on 17th December 2026. These dates are still to be confirmed.